A 25‑year‑old defendant has admitted guilt to charges of premeditated murder in the Arakapas double homicide, leaving life imprisonment as the only remaining sentencing option.
The sentence is expected to be handed down in early June, with no scope for deviation. Following this, the 25‑year‑old will be called as a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial against a 21‑year‑old co‑accused, who denies involvement in the crimes.
During the next hearing, the defendant’s lawyer is expected to address procedural matters before sentencing, with the only outstanding issue being whether the life sentences will run consecutively or concurrently.
The case
The double murder took place on 30 July 2024 in the Lystovouno–Arakapas area.
The bodies of 39‑year‑old Andreas Kouzoupis from Arakapas and 38‑year‑old Slovak national David Chmelar were found burned inside a vehicle on a dirt road between Parekklisia and Kellaki.
A post‑mortem examination showed that both victims had been shot in the head with a shotgun before the vehicle was set on fire, leading police to investigate a case of premeditated murder.
Two suspects, then aged 19 and 23, were arrested and initially blamed each other for the killings.
What the court heard
According to facts presented in court and accepted by the 25‑year‑old, he and another individual drove to an area near a water reservoir in Arakapas carrying a shotgun.
At around 23:30, the two victims arrived at the location in a vehicle driven by David Chmelar.
It was admitted that the co‑accused and another individual, acting together, killed both men. The victims were subjected to successive gunshots to the head.
It was clarified that the 25‑year‑old now admitting guilt was not the person who fired the weapon, but was present and involved at the time of the killings.
Attempt to conceal the crime
After the murders, the two suspects drove the victims’ car to the Lystovouno area and pushed it down a dirt slope, where it crashed into a tree.
They then obtained flammable material and set the vehicle on fire, destroying it and leaving the victims’ bodies burned beyond recognition.
